Electrical switch.



A. C. WYNNE. ELECTRICAL SWITCH. APPucATxoN FILED APR. 11. 1916.

l,262,424 PatentedApr. 9,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Figi.

A. C. WYNNE.

` ELECTRICAL SWITCH.

APeucAnoN man APR. l1. 191,6.

2 sHEliTs-sm-:Er 2.

para saar 'ii sie sar

ALBERT o. WYNNE, 0E EIEi/LrNGHAM, ENGLAND. l

ELECTRICAL SWITCH.

Specification of-LettersPatent.

Patented Apr. 9, i918.

Application ledy April 17, 1916. Serial No. 91,708.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT COURTNEY WYNNE, a. subject of the Kingl of `Grreat' Britain, residing at Mayfield, Vychall Lane, Kings Norton, Birmingham, England, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Y Electrical Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to electrical switches of the type in which the oscillating contact-arm of the make-and-bready llarly-displaceable sleeve or tubular member which is mechanically connected with the contact arm; one of the said members being formed with a helical slot, groove or recess which is open at one end, while the other end has a stud or lateral projection which, on the insertion o't the detachable pin or plunger into the sleeve, engages and coperates with the helical slot or groove and Vimparts movement to the said sleeve for closing the switch; while on withdrawal of the said pin or plunger', thev coperation of the stud and slot or groove positively brings about `thel opening of the said switch, in the manner hereinafter described. 7

I williirst describe my invention as apv plied to a key operated oscillating-arm switch embodying a quick-make and'quickbreak mechanism. ofthe kindkdescribed in the specification of my application for British Letters Patent dated the 9th day of March 1915 and numbered 3733; reference being made to thel accompanying drawings, in which-F Figure l represents a transverse vertical section oi'- the improved switch, showing the detachable operating key Vapplied or connected', its on or closed position.

Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. l, but withfthe detachable key omitted or the sake Vof .clearness Y.

and the oscillating switch-arm in l aboveV the top of the said plate g, as shown Fig. 3 vis a separate elevation of the vdetachable key and of the sliding pin or plunger element of the improved operating mechanism. Y

Y Fig. 4L is a detail`view,=partly in elevation and partly in section, of the element of the improved operating mechanism which is pern.

manently embodied in the switch and is in loperative connection with the quick-make and quick-breakr movement. Y

Fig; 5 is anelevation oi a slightly modi- Afied form of key, and

Figs. 6 and 7 show respectively an elevation and plan of the element which is embodied in the switch; and of its support or bearing plate.

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate the application ofv the invention to a plug-switch.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawing. Y

In the switch shown in Figs. l and 2, the l actual quick-make and. quick-break mechalnism'iSv-constructed in accordance with the *invention describedv 1n the specification 'of my above mentionedBritish application No.

3733 of. A1915, andthe spring-tensioning' cam a of the 'said mechanism is connected with the oscillating contact-*arm ,0, and with the central sleeve b, ,inv the Amanner described in the said specification. v

According to the present invention, theV said sleeve Z9, is adapted tozconstitute one element ot thespecial means'or mechanism v whereby the switch maybe actuated from an external detachablehandle (Z that carries or is associated with the second.v element of the said actuating arrangement, viz., a

Vsliding key-pin or plunger e which, .on being inserted into the sleeve element by means of the said handle, brings about thegclosing Y of the switch mechanism, while its withdrawal brings about theopening of the Vsaid switch.` IV l" The-sleeve b is rotatably mountedin the center of the switch Vbetween a' bed-or base plate f and a transverse Vbridge plate g; the open upper end of said sleeve extending in Fig. 1, and registering with a hole or aperturein the center of the cover, :While its wall is ormedwith a slot 1 which preferit extends nearly to the bottoni of Ythe latter,

while its lower extremity is provided with a radially-projecting stud el that is adapted to engage with and travel along the slot 221 of the sleeve when the plunger is inserted into or withdrawn from the said sleeve. During the insertion of the plunger,

which is held against rotation by the operators ingers, the stud c1 travels down the helical portion b2 ofthe slot 291 and compels the angularlyedisplaceable sleeve toV turn in the clock-wise direction lor stressing Vthe quick-make and break spring whereby (af-` ter the stud has traveled past the part i793 `of the slot b1) the oscillating contact-arm is closed or taken into engagement with its lined contacts independently oi"- the manu" ally operated handle or key, whereas during the nf'ithdrawal of the plunger, the sliding stud el andthe slot b1 cooperate or function to turn the sleeve counter-elockwisev to again stress the spring and bring about the quick break inoveinentot the switch-arm; thedisengagement et the said arm from its fixed contacts bein coiiriileted before the luno'er actually leaves the sleeve.

To prevent the slotted upper end oi the@ sleeve that extends above theybridge-plate from spreading or expanding, the same may be ittedwith an external' reinforcing collar or ferrule b, Y

rlhe slot 1 might lee made a regular slowpitch spiral from end to end, but when the present invention is applied to a quick kmake and break switch such as shown in Figs, l and 2, it is preferable or'several reasons to `adopt the compound formation above reerred to. For instance, the straight lower Ypart t'admits oiIk the plunger-stud working up er down therein without transmitting any movement to the sleeve, and 'thus the said plunger can always be pushed tully home atterthe switehlhas `actually closedV without straining any lparts of the mechanism. nthe step or short quick-pitched por- Y tion Z22Y is used to rapidly take up the play between the sleeve element of the operating` mechanism and the spring-stressing cam,

either at the completion of the downward operative movement of the pir O'er or at the vcommencement of its withdrawal' whilethe fthe time Y that' the quick-make 'and break spring lis being stre -arrangement may be adopted/which cong 'sed ifrom'thef positivelyf. jactuated' sleeve tor .either opening enclosing theswitch.y 2 Y f In order to positively prevent 'rotary or twisting movement of the plunger during its insertion into or withdrawalL ij'rom the sleeve, the handle or key may be provided (as shown in Fig. 5) with a pin t' which is of yequal length to, and is located parallel with, the plunger, and is adapted to pass throughl a suitable hole or aperture in the switch-cover and to engage and work within Y a guide hole l in the bridge-plate of the 75 switch (see Figs. 6 and 7 0r alternatively, the plunger may be formed with a vertical groove or recess that is engaged by a tongue or 'feather piece,wliich can be ormedout of, or'attached to, the bridge-plate and is so disposed that its extremity will engage the open lower end of the plunger-groove before the extremity olf the plunger enters the sleeve. Or any other key or i'feathering strains the detachable plunger to make a straight slidingmovement within theslotted sleeve and so obviates the necessity of the operator having to hold the key against rotation while inserting er withdrawing the same. Y l

' In applying the invention to a plug switch (as shown in elevation in Fig. 8 andV in plan in Fig. 9) the sliding plunger a, nl is carried by, or attached to the underside of, the detachable plug-carrying ineinber j), while the slotted sleeve (marked f, m in V'litiga 8 and 9) is embodied in, or operatively connected with, the switch mecha nism; the plug-pins g3 gat-that engage with 100 the sockets g1, (g2 ot` the switch then serving as means which prevent rotary twisting movement of the plunger during its insertion orrenioval. .As in the case'ot the plunger-operated switch shown inrFigs. lV and 2, the plunger n, al' andi slotted sleeve f, m, co operate to bring-about the closing of the switch during the insertion of the plunger 'metal parts shall be electrically dead at the moment. of their separatioiiand that burning` of the pins due to sparking ,shall be rendered impossible, so that withtliis,ar` rangement, the electrical circuit is neither 1720 made nor broken by the plug pins.

ln the said Figs. 8 and 9, the base of the switch is marked a, while c indicates the voscillating contact arm. of the switchmovement. 1 2 5 instead oit providing `tor the transmission of angular movement to the sleeve .from a (sliding or ,straight-motion plunger through the medium of a stud or radial projection' on the latter engaging a helical slot out through the walls of the former, the said sleeve may be formed with an internal helical vgroove for the plunger stud to work within; or a helical groove or recess of suitable lengthl and conformation may be formed in the plunger; the co-actingw-stud,` in this case, being fitted inside the upper end of the sleeve. 1 v

Mechanism such as above described may be applied to or embodied in any kind of switch mechanism where the contact arm is adapted or designed to make an oscillating movement into and out of engagement with its fixed contacts, and is capable of being operated in its make and break directions directly or indirectly from an angularlydisplaceable sleeve or equivalent member'.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. In a switch, the combination, with an oscillatory contact arm, contact means cooperating therewith and a case inclosing the same; of an angularly-displaceable sleeve within said case connected with said arm to control its movements, an operating device detachable from said case and a pin or plunger` carried by said device and adapted to be inserted in and withdrawn wholly from said sleeve; saidsleeve and plunger constituting a pair of companion members,

one of which is formed with a helical slot,

groove or recess, and the other with a lateral projection adapted to travel therein,where by at each insertion of said plunger in said sleeve the latter will be rotated thereby solely in a direction to cause the switch-closing movement of said arm, while its withdrawal will rotate said sleeve solely in the opposite direction so as to cause the switchopening movement of said arm.

2. In a switch, the combination, with a n'iovable contact arm, and contact means cooperative therewith; of means for operating said contact arm, comprising an angularlydisplaceable sleeve connected with said arm to control its movements, and a detachable pin or plunger adapted to be inserted in and withdrawn from said sleeve; saidv sleeve being formed with a slot having a long, slowpitched, helical upper portion, a short, quick-pitched helical intermediate portion and a straight lower portion, and said plunger having a lateral projection adapted to travel therein, whereby the insertion of said plunger in said. sleeve will rotate the latter in a direction to cause the switch-closingv movement oi' said arm, while its withdrawal will rotate said sleeve in the opposite direction so as to cause the switch-opening movement of said arm.

3. In a switch having a case, and spaced bed and bridge plates arranged therewithin, the combination, with an oscillatorycontact arm, and contact means coperative therewith also arranged within said case; ol an angularly-displaceable sleeve mounted within said case between .said plates and connectedwith saidfarm to control itsmove.- ments, Vsaid sleeve having its upperend eX- tended above said bridge. plate and provided with an external reinforcing collar, an operating device detachable Jfrom said case; and a pin 'or plunger adapted to be inserted in and withdrawn wholly from said sleeve; said sleeve and plunger constituting a pair of companion members, one of which is formed with a helical slot, groove or recess, and the other with a lateral projection adapted to travel therein, whereby at each insertion of said plunger in said sleeve the latter will be rotated thereby solely in a direction to cause the switch-closing movement of' said arm, while its withdrawal will rotate said sleeve solely in the opposite direction so as to cause the switch-opening movement of said arm. v

4:. In a switch, the combination, with a movable contact arm, contact means cooperative therewith and a case inclosing the same; of an angularly-displaceable sleeve within said case connected with said arm to control-its movements; a handle detachable from said case; a detachable pin or plunger carried by said handle and adapted to be inserted in and withdrawn wholly 'from said Y sleeve; said sleeve and plunger constituting a pair of companion members, one of which is formed with a helical slot, groove or recess, and the other with a lateral projection adapted to travel therein, whereby at each insertion of said plunger in said sleeve theV latter will be rotated thereby solely.l in a direction to cause the switch-closing move= ment 'of said arm, while its withdrawal will rotate said sleeve solely in the opposite direction so as to cause the switch-opening movement of said arm; and means for positively preventing rotary or twisting movement of the plunger during such insertion and withdrawal. I

5. In a plug switch havingsockets for the plug pins, the combination, with a detachable plug member, and a plurality of pins or plungers carried thereby for insertion in the latter in a direction to cause the switchclosing movement oit' said arml` while its withdrawal will rotate said sleeve in the opposite direction so as to cause the switchopeningflnovernent-osadg arm; themem'anl'nyhand inf presence of two subscribing Witng@pins-01';plumgesactingv Cia/positively messes. v V-prevelrrzlvl'cmnyjol;twisting` movement; 0i the s s Y A C.- WVfYlWlfE.Y'`

aforesaid pin @sp1-ungen; dwing-such nser- Witnesses Y 5l -ton'andmemovaL Y Y Y ARTHUR SADLER, n cestinfmmyV Wheleofi have/hereunto set E J. FREVES.

Copiesoffuthiswpaetent'amaybe -obfained=for`hie-:cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

